SECRETARY ANDANAR: DUTERTE ADMIN SAFEGUARDED MEDIA

Secretary Andanar: Duterte admin safeguarded media threatened],” he said.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Tuesday said that it was through the efforts of the government under the Duterte administration that stressed the need to safeguard Filipino media workers.

Secretary Andnar cited how the creation of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) pivoted the country’s attention to making sure that democracy remains vibrant.

“Pagdating po sa polisiya, maiiwan po ni Presidente Duterte sa PCOO ang PTFoMS na naging dahilan na mabilis yung pagresolve ng kaso ng Maguindanao Massacre, ganun din po ang pagkaalis ng ating bansa among the top 5 most dangerous countries for journalists dahil napabilis yung decision ng Maguindanao Massacre [When it comes to policy, one legacy the President Duterte will be leaving for PCOO is the creation of the PTFoMS, which was one of the reason that Maguindanao Massacre case was resolved.

We were also out from being among the the top 5 most dangerous countries for journalist because we facilitated the decision of the said case],” he said in a interview.

“Naprotektahan po at nabigyang pansin ang ating media workers na threatened [We were able to protect and give attention to our media workers who are being The infamous attack killed 58 people, including 32 journalists on November 23, 2009, placing the Philippines among the top 5 deadliest countries for journalists according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Global Impunity Index. In 2018, the Philippines is out of the top five most dangerous countries for journalists, according to the annual report of media freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The CPJ also released its annual report in 2020 showing that the Philippines has improved in campaigning against impunity. The country was booted out among the top 5 deadliest countries for journalists according to its Global Impunity Index. Secretary Andanar also said that the PCOO is not yet giving up on the legislation of the Media Workers Welfare Bill which is still pending at the Senate. “We are hoping that this will be passed into law before the term ends,” he said.

Government continues work in restoring investor, business in PH

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday stressed the need to boost the confidence of investors to continue their business ventures here in the Philippines amid the ongoing pandemic. In an interview, Secretary Andanar said that efforts are being undertaken in order to reassure both consumers and businesses through addressing the inevitable impacts of the virus on people’s livelihood and the economy. Earlier, the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) reported a survey result conveying that close to 26% of businesses have closed their operations, some of them temporarily. And that there was a need to assist businesses in order to prevent closure of their respective operations. “Mahalaga po yung ating pagtutok sa recovery roadmap ng ating bansa from the negative effects of the pandemic. Marami po ang nawalan ng trabaho at maraming

mga negosyante ang nawalan ng kumpyansa [It is important to focus on the recovery roadmap of our country from the negative effects of the pandemic. Many workers lost their jobs and many entrepreneurs lost their confidence],” he said.

The PCOO chief noted that part of these efforts is offering upskilling programs through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) along with programs undertaken by the DTI.

He said that the workers should feel secure about their jobs the same way entrepreneurs must feel confident in making investments in the local market. “We must work together with the President and follow his direction.

Sapagkat ang importante po is that we lay the proper ground for the eventual recovery of our nation [We must work together with the President and follow his direction.

Because what is important is that we lay the proper ground for the eventual recovery of our nation],” he said.

Secretary Andanar said that nursing the economy doesn’t have to be tied with politics since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has already withdrawn his bid to run for another position in the coming 2022 National Elections. ###

Secretary Andanar: Scrap political color in Covid-19 response

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Thursday called for public support for the government’s efforts towards recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary Andanar said that political color should not be an issue in continuing the programs and projects because public welfare is at stake. “Ang pakiusap ko lang po ay sana tulungan po natin si Presidente hanggang sa matapos ang kanyang termino na nagko-cooperate po tayo. Sapagkat nakafocus po tayo dito sa recovery roadmap po natin [I ask that we help the President until the end of his term, that we cooperate with him. Because we are focusing on our recovery roadmap],” he said. Let us please help the President because we are just one country, one nation. Sana walang kulay politika [Let us help the President because we are just one country, one nation. There shouldn’t be political color],” he added. Duterte legacy of unique reporting from previous admins In the same interview Secretary Andanar said that the roll out of the Duterte Legacy communications campaign is an upgrade on how the government reports to the people. He noted that reporting the accomplishments

of the administration no longer only relies on the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the current President.

He said that these accomplishments can be discussed by conducting massive information dissemination efforts which tackle how the campaign promises of the chief executive are being carried out to the grassroots level. Secretary Andanar hopes that this new strategy of accomplishment reporting will be adopted by the future administrations so that they can also cement the initiatives that are undertaken by the government that are geared in developing the country. “Ang Duterte legacy campaign ay isang report po ng ating pamahalaan tungkol sa mga nagawa ni President Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa kanyang termino. Alam naman natin na ang ating presidente ay mayroon pong mga pangako noong 2016 at tinupad niya po ito [The Duterte legacy campaign is a report of the government about the accomplishments of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during his term. We all know that the President made promises in 2016 and he delivered these],” he said. The PCOO chief said that the administration still welcomes the presence of critics, stressing that it attests to the respect of the government for every Filipino’s right to exercise democratic values.

“Maganda naman na mayroong critics. Ibig sabihin nito buhay ang ating demokrasya dahil hinahayaan natin sila na magcriticize. Ito naman ay civic responsibility ng isang citizen ng isang democratic country [It’s good that we have critics. This only means that democracy is alive because we allow them to criticize. This is a civic responsibility of a citizen in a democratic country],” he said. “Kung maganda naman ang mga sinasabi at ito naman ay constructive criticism, eh at least these critics keep the government up on its toes [If what they are saying is sound and they are constructive criticisms then at least these critics keep the government up on their toes],” he added.

Secretary Andanar touts advocacydriven communications for government media

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Friday that sustainable communication which advocates for actionable responses to societal issues should be introduced in government media.

In an interview, Secretary Andanar stressed having a holistic communication plan is vital in ensuring that messages go across the medium and to its target audience.

“We keep talking about sustainable marine diversity and agriculture, sustainable living and development and yet we fail to talk about sustainable communication. This strategy will weave all these advocacies we are trying to let our public know about,” he said.

“We need a sustainable communication mindset para mas tumatak sa ating publiko, at mas maimpluwensyahan pa natin ang mga kababayan natin to ensure that we have a more sustainable future [We need a sustainable communication mindset so that we will be able to influence more Filipinos and ensure a more sustainable future],” he added.

The PCOO chief also noted that sharing insightful and factual data that is relevant to the development of the country and the welfare of the Filipino people is being done through the print and broadcast assets of the government media. The PCOO continues its campaign of informing the people of the accomplishments of the current administration since 2020 when the Duterte Legacy campaign was launched.

Aside from advertorial and documentaries, Secretary Andanar said that they are entertaining radio interviews across the country, especially those in the provinces to be able to reach a wider audience.

To date, Secretary Andanar had interviews with over 70 radio stations.

The PCOO’s Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (OGMPA) is also spearheading the on-theground engagements of the DL campaign. Recently, a simultaneous Duterte Caravan Barangayanihan was initiated in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Gov’t ensures enough vaccine supply in for all LGUs

The national government assures that all local government units will be given enough vaccine supplies nationwide following the arrival of more COVID-19 vaccines in the country in the coming weeks. In Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, Mayor Jason John Joyce said that the municipality’s vaccination rate is now increasing due to the efficient distribution of vaccine supply from the national government. “Never po tayo nagkaroon ng kakulangan sa mga bakuna mula sa national government. [We never had a shortage of vaccines from the national government.],” Mayor Joyce said during Network Briefing News on Friday, October 15, hosted by Presidential Communications Sec. Martin M. Andanar.

He also cited that the government heightened its vaccine distribution initiatives in a bid to reach population protection by the end of this year, most especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and poor municipalities. As of now, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said that the country has received more than 85.5 million COVID-19 vaccines since February 2021, while nearly 23 million individuals are now fully vaccinated.

Mayor Joyce admitted that despite the improved vaccination rate in his town, some of their elders are still hesitant to receive COVID-19 jabs. “Recently po tumaas ang vaccination rate po dahil na rin po sa increased awareness ng ating mga kababayan. However, we have to admit our senior citizens po medyo mayroon pa po talaga silang vaccine hesitancy. [Recently, the vaccination rate has increased due to the increased awareness of our people. However, we have to admit our senior citizens are still hesitant to be vaccinated.], he said. For more than one year, the town maintained its zero COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic, according to Mayor Joyce. “Noong June lang pumasok ang unang COVID-19 case when we allowed the entry of our locally stranded individuals and returning OFWs without any stringent requirements like RT-PCR, medical certificates, etc. [We only had our first COVID-19 case last June when we allowed the entry of our locally stranded individuals and returning OFWs without any stringent requirements like RT-PCR, medical certificates, etc.],” he added.

The local government has procured more testing kits to increase and intensify its testing capacity, citing the government strategy on “proper testing, contact tracing, and treatment of people.”

“The national government has set a good example on how to address the COVID problems. [The national government has set a good example on how to address the COVID problems.],” he said.

Aroroy, Masbate maintains stable local economy, gov’t extends help for agri dev’t Supplying fishes in Metro Manila, more vaccine allotment

The situation of the local economy of Aroroy town in Masbate is keeping pace with the current health crisis as it remains stable backed by the assistance of the national government in agricultural development. This was shared by Mayor Arturo Virtucio in an interview with Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar on Thursday, October 14, during the Network Briefing News. He cited that the local economy scene in his gold-rich town is being sustained as the Department of Agriculture puts up rice field development for local farmers, while the national and provincial government allocated funds for the construction of dams and other infrastructures.

“Pinadalhan kami ng Department of Agriculture ng maraming traktura, iyong mga nagbubungkal ng bukid namin. Tinutulungan din kami [ng pamahalaan] na gumawa ng mga dams para maconvert namin ang mga kabundukan namin into rice fields. [The Department of Agriculture sent us a lot of tractors, which cultivate our fields. The [government] also helps us build dams so we can convert our mountains into rice fields],” he said.

As part of its five-year agricultural development plan, the local government also procured some seeds of highvalue fruits in a bid to develop the town as an agricultural site for fruit plantations. “In case na mawala na iyong mina, mayroon kaming lifetime renewable source of income which is ito yung pagtatanim ng mga high-value fruit. [In case mining will be gone, we have a lifetime renewable source of income which is the [plantation] of high-value fruits],” he said. Aside from being one of the country’s largest gold mine sites, the municipality of Aroroy is also a supplier of varieties of fish not only in Masbate but also for the Manila City and Malabon City in the National Capital Region, according to Mayor Virtucio. “Mayroon kaming center na bilihan ng isda, at kapag sumobra sa buong Masbate, sinusuplay namin, pinapadala namin sa Maynila, sa Malabon. Mayaman ang lugar namin sa isda. We have a fish market center, and when there is excess from all of Masbate, we supply it, we also send it to Manila, to Malabon. Our area is rich in fish],” he said. Mayor Virtucio appealed to the national government for more COVID-19 vaccine allocations as he believes these will serve as protection for the people of Aroroy so that they can sustain the decreasing trend of COVID-19 cases in the town.

“Sa national government, humihingi kami ng mas marami pang vaccines ang makarating sa amin para maprotektahan ko ang mga tao dito sa aming bayan. [To the national government, we are asking for more vaccines to be sent to us so that I can protect the people here in our town],” he concluded.

‘Continued vigilance and vaccination will save lives’ says Bong Go as his team assists over three thousand indigents in Subic, Zambales

As poor and marginalized communities continue to bear the brunt of the public health crisis, the Office of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go provided relief to the residents in Subic, Zambales whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by restrictions to control the spread of the virus.

In a video message at an activity on October 14 and 15, Go assured Filipinos that the government will continue to balance economic recovery and health protection as he reminded residents of the simple and yet effective ways to put an end to the COVID-19 crisis. He also encouraged them to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help the country return to normalcy. “Huwag nating isantabi ang mga basic protocols, gaya ng pagsuot ng mask at face shields, palaging paghugas ng kamay, pag-obserba ng social distancing, at pananatili sa loob ng bahay kung hindi naman kailangang lumabas. Paulit-ulit na ito, kung hindi tayo susunod, mas mahihirapan tayo,” said Go.

“Higit sa lahat, magtiwala tayo sa national vaccine program at magpabakuna na kaagad ayon sa priority order na ipinapatupad. Tuluy-tuloy naman ang pagdating ng bakuna at pinapabilis na natin ang rollout upang marating natin ang population protection leading to herd immunity sa lalong madaling panahon,” he explained.

His staff handed out meals, vitamins, masks, and face shields to a total of 3,500 indigent residents, market vendors and members of the local Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association. The activities were carried out in batches at the Kolehiyo ng Subic, Subic National High School and Subic Central School in compliance with the protocols against COVID-19.

They gave selected residents new shoes and bicycles for their commuting needs, as well October 9-15, 2021 | 37

as computer tablets for children’s educational use. In a separate distribution, personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development also handed out with financial assistance as part of a continuing effort by the government to alleviate the adverse socioeconomic effects of the health crisis.

The senator, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, offered further assistance to those in need of medical care. He strongly advised particularly poor and indigent patients to visit the Malasakit Center at the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in Iba town. The center is a one-stop shop which provides convenient access to the medical assistance programs of the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The Malasakit Centers program has benefited three million patients throughout the country since the pilot location was opened in 2018.

In the end, Go expressed gratitude to various officials for their ongoing efforts to assist poor and marginalized communities affected by the pandemic. Among these were 1st District Representative Jeffrey Khonghun, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Vice Governor Jefferson Khonghun, Mayor Jonathan Khonghun, and Vice Mayor Lauro Simbol. As Vice Chair of Senate Committee on Finance, Go has supported various initiatives to improve access to public services and stimulate economic activity in the province. They include the rehabilitation of roads in Cabangan, Candelaria, Masinloc, San Felipe, San Marcelino and Olongapo City; construction of a multi-purpose buildings and installation of street lights in Botolan; acquisition of multicabs and construction of a multi-purpose building in Iba; rehabilitation of a public market in Cabangan and San Antonio; and construction of a seawall in Masinloc.

Go’s team recently conducted a series of activities for 3,500 market vendors and TODA members in Cabangan from October 11 to 13.

Earlier, Go explained that despite his vice presidential bid, he remains focused on his duties as a senator and public servant, especially in assisting the government and the general public in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. “Sabi ko nga, mamaya na muna ‘yung pulitika, tapos na ‘yung filing deadline so let’s go back to work. Unahin po natin ‘yung pagseserbisyo para sa ating mga kababayan,” said Go.

Bong Go highlights importance of agriculture to achieve economic recovery as his team aids agricultural workers and hog raisers in Alubijid, Misamis Oriental

The Office of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, together with other government agencies, provided aid to hog raisers and other agricultural workers in Alubijid, Misamis Oriental on Thursday, October 14, whose livelihood was affected by the pandemic as well as the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus in their area.

In a video message, Go recognized the contributions of the agriculture sector towards improving food security and reminded concerned agencies to deliver on their commitments while promoting the welfare and safeguarding the interests of workers at this time.

“Lalo na sa panahon ngayon na apektado ng krisis ang ating ekonomiya, ‘back to basics’ tayo. Nakita natin kung gaano kahalaga ang agrikultura sa ating bansa at kabuhayan. Mabilis pong maibabalik ang sigla ng ating ekonomiya kung palalakasin natin ang sektor ng agrikultura sa mga probinsya,” said Go. “Kaya suportahan po natin ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Tulungan natin silang malampasan ang paghihirap na dulot ng pandemya dahil ang sektor na ito ang bubuhay sa ating bansa pagkatapos ng krisis na ito,” he continued.

Go’s staff distributed meals, vitamins, masks, and face shields to a total of 281 agricultural workers at the Alubijid covered court. They provided new shoes and a bicycle to selected recipients. They also gave a computer tablet to help with their children’s blended October 9-15, 2021 | 39

learning activities. In addition, representatives from several government agencies offered further aid to help the farmers cope with the effects of the outbreak. The Department of Social Welfare and Development handed out food packs while the Department of Health gave additional vitamins.

The Department of Agriculture also distributed indemnification payments amounting to P5.98 million pesos or P5,000 pesos per hog culled to each affected farmer.

“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko ngayon araw na ito kay Senator Bong Go at nakatanggap ako ng bike. Natupad niyo po ang kahilingan ng anak ko na magkaroon ng bike! Salamat din sa ating Presidente (Rodrigo Duterte) dahil nadagdagan ang aming natanggap Malaking tulong ito sa aming pamumuhay, lalo na panahon ngayon ng pandemya. Malaki talaga ang pasasalamat ko,” said Barbara Magdale, 43. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, the senator reminded residents not to neglect their health amidst the ongoing pandemic. To help them avail medical care, he encouraged them to reach out to his office or visit the Malasakit Center located at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center or J.R. Borja General Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City. “Hindi niyo na kailangan pumila o umikot pa sa iba’t ibang opisina para humingi ng tulong pampagamot dahil nasa loob na sila ng iisang kwarto. Lapitan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center at wala itong pinipili. Karapatan niyo bilang mga Pilipino ang makaavail ng serbisyo nito,” he continued.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop which streamlines the provision of medical assistance by bringing the relevant government agencies under one roof, namely the DOH, DSWD, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity

Sweepstakes Office. The center’s primary aim is to help reduce a patients’ hospital bill to the lowest possible amount by covering various patient services and expenses through the existing medical assistance programs. Go principally authored and sponsored the measure that became Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.

Bong Go

and thanked DA Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista, DSWD Regional Director Mari Flor Libang, DOH Regional Director Dr. Jose Llacuna, Jr., Mayor Emmanuel Jamis and other officials for their efforts in assisting the farmers.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has supported various initiatives to promote the development of the infrastructure and public service delivery in Misamis Oriental. He helped in the concreting of the farm-tomarket road in Barangay Tugasnon in Alubijid. Other major initiatives include the rehabilitation of local roads in Baliangao, Balingasag, Balingoan, Initao, Lagonglong, Laguindingan, Libertad, Lugait, Magsaysay, Manticao, Cagayan de Oro City and El Salvador City; construction of water systems in Balingasag and Jasaan; construction of multi-purpose buildings in Initao, Magsaysay, Cagayan de Oro City and Gingoog City; and flood control projects in Magsaysay, Medina and Gingoog City. He also supported the construction of a public market in Manticao; development of the public plaza in Lugait; and acquisition of ambulance units for the local governments of Balingoan, Kinoguitan, Libertad, Lugait and Cagayan de Oro City. On Tuesday, September 14, Go’s team provided emergency assistance to 52 fire victims in Barangays Casinglot, Natumolan, and Rosario in Tagoloan.

Bong Go responds to the needs of vulnerable residents in Naic, Cavite as he assures Filipinos of holistic approach towards pandemic recovery

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated his call for greater access to government support programs for underprivileged Filipinos to help them overcome crisis situations as his team recently conducted a relief operation for a total of 654 struggling residents in Naic, Cavite on Thursday, October 14, at the Naic Municipal Plaza. Go’s staff provided each beneficiary with meals, vitamins, masks, and face shields. They also gave new pairs of shoes and bicycles to select recipients, as well as computer tablets for

Meanwhile, staff from the Department of Social Welfare and Development also handed out financial assistance in a separate distribution.

The distribution was carried out in batches to ensure all health and safety protocols against COVID-19 were strictly observed.

“Salamat po sa mga proyektong binibigay niyo sa amin, mahal na Pangulo. Na kahit kayo ay andiyan sa Malacañang, naaabutan niyo pa rin kami ng tulong dito sa baba,” Joseph Curiano, a 32-year-old stockman, expressed in an interview.

“Kay Senator Bong Go po, nagpapasalamat din po ako kasi simula pa noong nakatira pa kami sa Bacoor e nararamdaman po namin ang mga tulong niya. Lalo na po sa mga programang pinapasa niya bilang senador, salamat po,” Curiano added. In a video message at the activity, the Senator, as Chair of Senate Committee on Health and Demography, reminded the beneficiaries to always observe social distancing, frequent hand washing, and respiratory etiquette by wearing masks and face shields when in public so they can prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. “Mga kababayan, magingat po tayo dahil kung tataas ang bilang ng mga kaso ay napipilitan ang gobyerno na magimpose ng mahigpit na restrictions. Kailangan ng gobyerno ang kooperasyon at disiplina ng bawat isa. Kahit bakunado na kayo, marami pa ang hindi, kaya dapat protektahan din natin sila,” said Go.

“Pakiusap po namin ni Pangulong Duterte sa inyo, lalung-lalo na po ‘pag pasok na kayo sa priority list, magpabakuna na ho kayo. Ito po ang ating proteksyon,” he continued. medical assistance to the beneficiaries to make sure their health concerns are addressed and advised them to visit the Malasakit Centers located at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor City and General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital in Trece Martires City. First established in Cebu in 2018, the Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where particularly poor and indigent patients may conveniently avail medical assistance from the concerned agencies, such as DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. “Sa mga pasyente, lapitan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center dahil para ‘to sa inyo. Kung may hospital bill kayo, nandiyan ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na tutulong para mabayaran ito. At kung may naiwang balanse, may iniwan rin na pondo ang Office of the President ... Target

po nito na maging zero balance o wala na kayong babayaran sa inyung pagpa-ospital,” Go said.

Go continued his message as he thanked various public officials for their efforts to keep their constituents safe since the start of the national health crisis, including Representative Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, Vice Governor Ramon “Jolo” Revilla, Mayor Junio “Jun” Dualan, and many other leaders.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, he has pushed for the funding of various infrastructure projects in Naic, including the installation of streetlights in Barangays Muzon, San Roque, and Muzon. He also supported the acquisition of ambulance units in Bacoor City, Indang, and Trece Martires City; acquisition of various medical equipment for Bagtas Medical Center in Tanza; rehabilitation of fire station in Noveleta; construction and rehabilitation of roads in Bacoor City, Cavite City, Dasmariñas City, General Emilio Aguinaldo, General Trias City, Imus, and Tagaytay City; construction of multi-purpose buildings in Bacoor City, General Trias City, Imus, Mendez, and Trece Martires City; and the improvement of public market in Ternate. Despite filing his candidacy for Vice President for the upcoming national elections, Go stressed that his focus remains on fulfilling his mandate as a senator and in ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind towards recovery amid the ongoing health crisis. “Mga kababayan ko, ingat po kayo. Magdasal po tayo parati. At tandaan n’yo po parati, minsan lang tayo dadaan sa mundong ito. Kung ano pong kabutihan o tulong po na pwede nating gawin sa ating kapwa tao, gawin na po natin ngayon dahil hindi na po tayo babalik sa mundong ito,” said Go. “Kami po ni Pangulong Duterte ay patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat. Para sa amin po, ang serbisyo po sa tao, serbisyo po ‘yan sa Diyos. Mga minamahal kong kababayan, mahal na mahal po namin kayo,” he added.

Over 52M vaccine doses administered nationwide

The Philippines has so far received 91,546,620 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including the latest delivery of 207,090 doses of the Pfizer jab on Saturday night.

SANITATION. An airport worker disinfects the boxes containing 720,000 doses of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Saturday (Oct. 16, 2021). The Philippines has so far administered 52,157,598 first and second doses. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

The Philippines has administered 52,157,598 doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of Sunday. The National Covid-19 Vaccination Dashboard showed 27,921,074 were given as first doses while 24,236,524 were utilized as second doses.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said the government has started to send the bulk of vaccines to areas outside the National Capital Region. “Supply is no longer an issue for our country as of this time, as we now have adequate vaccines in our national inventory,” Galvez said in a statement over the weekend.

He also commended local government units (LGUs) for their aggressive efforts to inoculate as many as possible despite confronting many challenges posed by the pandemic, including hesitancy and logistics. Galvez said inoculating more Filipinos will allow the country to achieve full economic recovery and hit population protection against the dreaded infection.

Steady supplies also allowed the country to start the vaccination of minors with comorbidities in the National Capital Region on Friday, initially including those aged 15 to 17 years and the 12 to 14 age bracket next month.

The pilot rollout was held in eight hospitals in Metro Manila while the rollout in all 17 local government units will be on October 22 using one hospital each as vaccination site.

The regional rollout for areas that have fully vaccinated 50 percent of their senior citizens may begin on November 5. (PNA/By Lade Jean Kabagani)

91.3M Covid-19 vax doses already in PH

NEW DELIVERY. Boxes containing 862,290 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine are disinfected at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Friday (Oct. 15, 2021). As of October 16, the Philippines has received 91,339,530 doses. (PNA video by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

The Philippines has already received 91,339,530 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, according to the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 on Saturday. Of the total, 51,985,108 doses have been administered nationwide.

Included in the total number of doses delivered were the 862,290 doses of Pfizer jabs and the 844,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that arrived Friday and the 720,000 doses of Sputnik V (360,000 doses each of Components I and II) on Saturday afternoon. The AstraZeneca jabs were donated by the German government, which will send 800,000 more.

Another 207,090 doses of Pfizer vaccine will be arriving at about 9:20 p.m. on Saturday. Based on the National Covid-19 Vaccination Dashboard as of October 16, a total of 27,817,263 doses were given as first dose while 24,167,845 were utilized as second doses.

The country also increased its daily average vaccination rate to 281,810 doses.

NTF chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. previously said vaccine supply in the country is not a problem anymore. About 50 million more doses of Moderna and Pfizer will be delivered in the coming weeks to be used for pediatric vaccination, or the 12 to 17 years age group. (PNA/By Lade Jean Kabagani)

Covid-19 vax to protect students during F2F classes: Palace

for heeding the government’s call to participate in the immunization campaign against the coronavirus.

(File photo)

The vaccination of students against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will keep them protected during the resumption of the face-to-face classes, Malacañang said on Wednesday. During the ceremonial vaccination of tertiary students at Mabalacat City College in Pampanga City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said inoculating the students is vital to ensure their safety when they attend in-person classes.

“Napakaimportante po ng bakuna. Ito ang susi para tayo ay makabalik sa buhay na tayo po ay nasanay. Ito po ang susi para makabalik ng face-to-face classrooms sa ating mga colleges and universities (The vaccine is very important. This is the key to returning to normal life. This is the key to the resumption of face-to-face classrooms in colleges and universities),” Roque said in his taped video message. On Monday, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Prospero de Vera III said around 1,500 students are expected to be vaccinated during the conduct of the “Padyak! Para sa Flexible Learning, Sama-Samang Vaccination Program” at the Mabalacat City College. The program aims to encourage more students and higher education personnel to get inoculated against Covid-19. Roque lauded the newly vaccinated students “Binabati ko po ang ating mga kauna-unahang mga kabataan na mababakunahan na. Matapos po ng napakatagal na paghihintay, ang ating mga kabataan ay mabibigyan na rin ng proteksyon laban sa seryosong pagkakasakit (I laud the minors who have already been vaccinated. After the long wait, the youth will now be given the protection against serious illness),” he said. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved the vaccination of the general population, including the minors, beginning October this year. The pediatric vaccination in the country will be done first among individuals belonging to 15 to 17 age group. Following Duterte’s approval, there is no reason for students and personnel of higher education institutions (HEIs) not to become “100 percent vaccinated,” Roque said. “Ang mensahe sa lahat ng kabataan, magpabakuna na po ng tayo po ay makapagbalik-buhay. Dahil sa bakuna, puwedeng bumalik buhay (The message to the youth is to get vaccinated to enable us to return to normal life. The vaccine will help us return to normal life),” he said. There are currently 181 HEIs allowed to resume F2F classes for medicine and allied health sciences.

In September, Duterte also approved the resumption of limited in-person classes for engineering and technology, hotel and restaurant management, tourism and travel management, marine engineering, and marine transportation. De Vera said around 73 percent of HEI personnel in 1,488 universities and colleges nationwide have already been inoculated against Covid-19, as of October 6. (PNA/By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos) Caraga INFOCUS

Executive Editor ABNER M. CAGA

Associate Editor FRYAN E. ABKILAN Managing Editor NORA CL MOLDE

Copy Editor VENUS LIM GARCIA

Layout Artists RONNIE E. MADANGUIT JOHN CHARLES B. MALAZARTE

Contributors JENNIFER P. GAITANO

Agusan del Sur

NIDA GRACE B. TRANQUILAN

Surigao del Sur

SUSIL D. RAGAS

Surigao del Norte/Dinagat Islands

DOREEN MARIELLE N. ROSALES

Regional Office

RHEA C. ABAO RUTH ABBEY GITA-CARLOS LADE JEAN KABAGANI ENGR. FRANCIS GLENN N. SUANTE DIVINA SUSON DA CARAGA LGU-HINATUAN MGB-13 PNA

Business Managers ZARINA O. LASTRA MARIESH F. CELEDEÑA MAY AMOR O. ALABADO

Photographer ROBESPIERRE C. TRADIO RUDOLF BONNIN E. SANICO

Regional Office

Jose Rosales Avenue, Butuan City piacaraga@gmail.com; pia_caraga@yahoo.com.ph (085) 341-5285; (085) 815-1991 Philippine Information Agency Caraga @PIACaraga

Information Centers

AGUSAN DEL NORTE

Jose Rosales Avenue, Butuan City (085) 815-1991 pia.northagusan@gmail.com PIA Agusan del Norte

AGUSAN DEL SUR

Provincial Government Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur 0917-723-3455 pia.agusandelsur@yahoo.com.ph PIA Agusan del Sur

SURIGAO DEL NORTE/DINAGAT ISLANDS

Parrucho corner Magallanes St., Surigao City (086) 826-9450 piasurigao@gmail.com PIA Surigao del Norte; PIA Dinagat Islands

SURIGAO DEL SUR

Old DPWH Bldg., Telaje, Tandag City (086) 211-3353 piasurigaosur@gmail.com; sds_pia@yahoo.com.ph PIA Surigao del Sur